Back-to-School Gift

Over the past few weeks, I've noticed that big-name stores like Target and Walmart have set up their yearly back-to-school sections complete with backpacks, notebooks, pencils, calculators and everything in between. I always get a bit nostalgic because I recall going shopping with my mom every year as a kid. Even though I dreaded going back to school, I loved buying new supplies especially bright colored folders and markers. It's one of those things I took for granted—and many other kids in America do the same. We generally don't think about the children who aren't as privileged to receive a new backpack or even school clothes. In New York, some of those underprivileged students are getting a back-to-school surprise.

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Last week, philanthropist George Soros announced that he was donating $35 million to the state of New York's "Back to School" program to help children on public assistance and food stamps with their back-to-school shopping. Soros' donation along with $140 million of federal stimulus funds allowed $200 to be given to each child to buy necessary school supplies. Over 850,000 families in New York had the money added to their public-assistance debit accounts last week. To read more, click here.